Penrith Searching For The Perfect Start

Josh Mansour plays his first game on Monday in 2015. Image courtesy of: Getty Images

Roosters v Panthers

Allianz Stadium

Monday March 23 – 6:05 PM (AEST)

Form:

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The Sydney Roosters and Penrith Panthers face off on Monday, with Penrith looking for the perfect start to the season.

Before coach Ivan Cleary came on board, the Panthers were one of the most inconsistent teams in the NRL. They had made the finals twice in almost ten years and continued to perform below first grade standard. But under his direction, they've become one of the powerhouses of the competition, just missing out on a Grand Final appearance last year. Their perfect start to the season (24-18 victory over Bulldogs and 40-0 demolition of the Titans) is thanks in large to fullback Matt Moylan . Last week against the Titans, he was flawless in his man of the match performance. He finished the game with 151 running metres, three tackle breaks and three try assists. Josh Mansour and Isaac John have been named for their first game of the season, replacing George Jennings (dropped) and Jamie Soward (back injury) respectively.

In the first two rounds of the competition, the Roosters have shown that they are one of the teams to beat this season. Their 28-4 victory over the Cowboys in week one was nothing short of outstanding. Then last week, they had the Rabbitohs by the tail, only to fall off in the dying minutes to lose 34-26. With halves pairing Mitchell Pearce and James Maloney starting to recapture the form that saw them win the Grand Final two years ago, last year’s Minor Premiers are in prime position to have another crack at finishing on top.

Both teams shared a win apiece last year, with the Panthers winning a one-point thriller in the first week of the Finals. This game is sure to be the pick of the round and TattsBet customers are torn on who to favour, instead opting to take Shaun Kenny-Dowall as their First Try Scorer pick.